Hooks for rigging, lifting, recovery, and the like are typically adapted for use under constant tension applications. It is common to see lifting hooks and shackles on overhead cranes and recovery winches and in other lifting and recovery applications where constant tension is applied to a load. Whenever a hook is being used in an application where there may be momentary slack in the load, there is a chance that the load (e.g., cable, rope, strap, clevis) attached to the hook may shift or escape through an opening in the hook. To address this issue, it is common to see safety latches, locking hooks, etc. implemented to address this load escape possibility. These current safety devices are not designed to accept loads and/or forces that may shift into or adjacent the latch or locking mechanism. Further, it does not require much force to overcome a common safety spring latch mechanism or to begin to crack open a locking hook. Thus, current safety devices do not fully prevent loads from escaping.
One application for hooks is in connection with off road vehicles that are equipped with electric or hydraulic recovery winches. These winches allow the vehicle owner to extract the vehicle out of a ditch or other hazard in which the vehicle may be stuck. Typically, a winch has a recovery line that terminates in a loop end, which accepts a common recovery hook providing a connection point for a towing strap. A typical recovery winch may be equipped with the hook already attached to the loop end. The hook is typically connected to the loop end by a shear pin and cotter pin. These hooks, however, may allow the towing strap or chain to disengage from the hook through the hook's opening. Although some hooks are equipped with a safety latch that prevents the mating rope or strap from coming loose from the hook, these latches are weak and are not designed to accept high loads.
The present disclosure addresses these and other limitations of the prior art. Specifically, the present disclosure identifies ways in which use of a shackle combined with a hook can provide advantages for off-road vehicles or other applications.
The information included in this Background section, including any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the invention as defined in the claims is to be bound.